'Rader's of lost glory _ Football is back atop Ivies

Penn halfback Jim Finn threw a second-quarter touchdown pass as the Quakers move to 4-1. As late as Friday afternoon, things did not look good for the Penn football team. Not only was Quakers' starting quarterback Matt Rader questionable with a gash on his throwing arm, but two key members of the defense -- right tackle Mike Germino and linebacker Jim Hisgen -- were also out. But a funny thing happened Saturday on the way to the Quakers' first Ivy loss of season -- they didn't lose. Instead, Penn's trainers slapped a bandage on Rader's arm and he sparked Penn (4-1, 2-0 Ivy League) to a 20-0 win over Columbia (2-3, 1-1) at Franklin Field. Penn running back and senior co-captain Jim Finn had a hand in two Penn touchdowns, but Saturday's game was not typical Finn. He threw a 21-yard pass to Doug O'Neill for the first points of the game, and he sealed the win with a five-yard run that ended the scoring. Finn came in leading the Ivies in rushing, but Columbia held him to 77 yards on 27 carries. Columbia's defense looked tough early in the game, keeping Penn out of Columbia territory until the last minute of the first quarter. The Quakers' offense continued to struggle until midway through the second quarter, when it took advantage of one of Columbia's 12 penalties to move to the Lions' 21-yard line. Then Penn coach Al Bagnoli reached into his bag of tricks and called for a new quarterback -- Finn. Rader gave the ball to Finn, who started running right before lofting a 21-yard touchdown pass over the defense to Doug O'Neill in the end zone. "He's a heck of an athlete," Columbia coach Ray Tellier said. "He's got speed and quickness for a big man. We know he's the big gun, and I'm glad he's going to be gone." Early in the fourth quarter, Penn was again in danger of wasting a long drive after a holding penalty gave them a first-and-20. But Bagnoli's next choice of plays showed a clear lack of respect for the quality of an Ivy League education. Rader handed off to Finn who again dropped back to pass. Columbia was unprepared once again, but the pass was lofted dangerously in the middle of the field. No matter, as the seemingly indestructible Rader leaped high over two Lions defenders to make the catch for a 21-yard gain. "They got a little smart the second time and played the cornerbacks in," Rader said. "Finn threw a spiral, a half-spiral maybe? and I jumped in front of the corner and caught the ball." That drive ended in a two-yard touchdown pass from Rader to Benjamin Zagorski, who now has two receptions this season -- both for touchdowns. Although Columbia's rush defense entered the contest ranked third in Division I-AA, Rader took advantage of their weak pass defense to go 17-for-25 for 169 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. "As a defensive scheme, their main thing is to try and stop the run," Finn said. "They did a good job, but obviously they have to defend the pass as well, and I think we did a really good job throwing the ball today." There was one area of concern for the Quakers, however, as a wide snap on the second extra point led to a scramble that ended short of the goal line. The extra point has been a problem for Penn, with a miss against Fordham the week before and a five-yard penalty on Saturday's first extra point. But with the defense going strong, extra points were not necessary. Finn's touchdown run late in the fourth quarter completed the scoring and put the game out of reach after a desperate Columbia squad attempted a fourth-and-10 on their own 19. Like their teammates on offense, the Quakers defense started slowly. The Lions offense looked unstoppable on its first two possessions, driving down the field with ease. A blocked field goal put an end to the first drive, and the second drive proved to be the turning point of the game. The key play came after just over 11 minutes of play, with the Lions facing a fourth-and-two at Penn's 11-yard line. With the blocked field goal still fresh in their minds, the Lions decided to go for it. But the run by freshman back Johnathan Reese ended up about two inches short. Those two inches got the Penn fans excited, and the drive marked the last time the Lions would reach Penn territory before the final drive of the first half. "We struggled kicking the ball last week at the end of the game, and we had the field goal blocked in the first series," Tellier said. "So we made some decisions that? if we get down there, we were going to try to make if four-down territory and go for it more." Despite allowing over 300 yards in total offense for the second week in a row, Penn's defense continued to make key defensive stops and keep the Lions off the scoreboard. "It's been the same story all year," Columbia wide receiver Mark Cannan said. "In between the 20 [yard line]'s we're moving the ball well, and we seem to stall once we get in the red zone." With both Germino and Hisgen in street clothes, a few members of the defense saw more playing time than usual. Jason Maehr and Ed Galan filled in admirably, combining for 11 tackles and two sacks. The defense also got important contributions from seniors Joe Piela and Justin Gallagher, as well as junior Joey Alofaitulli. Gallagher even picked up the first interception of his Penn career. The pick came midway through the fourth quarter with the score 13-0 and Columbia on the Quakers' six yard line. Gallagher returned the ball 46 yards before being brought down by Lions quarterback Ted Schroeder. "I saw the pass and I just stepped back and it was right at me," Gallagher said. "All the guys, they ran and they blocked as well as I could expect. Unfortunately, God didn't give me too much speed, so the quarterback ran me down." The win left Penn and Princeton as the only remaining undefeated teams in the Ivy League, both 2-0, setting the stage for a showdown between the teams in Old Nassau two weeks from this Saturday. By then, Germino and Hisgen should be back on the field and Rader's injury a distant memory.

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